Bleeder valve for air-brake systems



T. J. STEINKELLER. BLEEDER VALVE FOR AIR BRAKE SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18, I920- 1,409,605.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

JiJVenor. fiflezkzkeller minal or freight PATENT OFFICE.

zrnomns STEINKELLER,

or EUREKA, CALIFORNIA.

BLEEDER AIR-BRAKE SYSTEMS. r

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS J. S'rE NKnL-LER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Eureka, in the countyof Humboldt and State of California, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Bleeder Valves for Air-Brake Systems, of which thefollowing is a specification. 1

This invention relates to an improved bleed valve for exhausting the airfrom the air brake apparatus on a railway car in order to release theair brakes on said car. U

'VVhen a train of cars is hauled into a teryard to have the various carsof the train distributed to certain points of the yard orterminal,particularly in the case of freight cars, upon uncoupling theengine from, the cars the brakes will immediately set. To now'haulthecars to designated points in the yard to to provide for kicking the carsonto sidings with a switch engine, it is necessary that some mem ber ofthe train or yard crew open the bleeder valve in each car to release theair brakes.-

' train of cars. The ordinary yard or switch engine does not have itsair system coupled with the train line of the air brake system of thetrain of cars and for this reason the aforementioned bleeding of the airlines is necessary to release the brake.

' It is the primary object of my invention to provide an improvedbleeder valve which will operate so as to consummate a great saving intime and labor such as required at the present time to bleed the cars ofa train. To this end, I provide a valve, which when opened by theoperatorwill remain open, and allow the air in the air brake apparatusto exhaust without necessitating that the operator hold the valve inopen position,

Another object of the invention is to provide a b-leeder valve of thecharacter described, which after being opened will automatically closeimmediately upon the connection of the train line of the car to which itis attached, with the air supply apparatus of a locomotive.

The invention possesses other advantages and features, some of which,with the foregoing will be set forth at lengthin the fol- Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

Application filed February 18,1920. Serial No. 359,739.

lowing description wherein I shall outline in full that form of theinvention which I have selected for illustration in the drawingsaccompanying and forming a part of the pres ent specification. I saiddrawings I have shown one form of the construction of my in vention butit is to be understood that I do not limit myself to such form, sincethe invention as expressed in the claims may be embodied in a pluralityof forms.

- Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the bleeder valve of my inventionshowing it screwed into the upper side of the auxiliary air tank, partof the latter of which being shown in section. I

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the valve of my inventionshowing it as it appears when closed.

' Figure 3 is a vertical-sectional View of the valve showing it as itappears when open.

' Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 i of figure 2.

- Figure 5 is-a sectional viewtaken on the line 5-5 of figure 3.

- Figure 6 is adiagrannnatic view showing a part of the air brakeapparatus of a railway car and thevalve of my invention mounted on theauxiliary air reservoir.

In carrying out my invention, 1 provide a bleed portin communicationwith the air brake apparatus of a railroad car and control said port bya valve, which valve when moved to open the port will, without beingmanually held, remain in open position and allow air to exhaust from theapparatus into the atmosphere, whereby the brakes of the car will bereleased. In connection with the valve I provide closing means thereforoperated by air pressure and I connect this means with the train line ofthe apparatus so that when the car train line isconnected with alocomotive, air supplied to the car train line will automaticallyactuate this closing means, close the valve and allow the auxiliaryreservoir to fill without bleeding.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the train line of the air brakeapparatus of a railroad car, connected by a pipe 2 with the usual triplevalve 3. The triple valve is operatively associated with the auxiliaryreservoir and brake cylinder 5 in the usual manner. This apparatus is ofthe type generally employed as part of the present day air brakeequipment for railroad cars and pressure need not be illustrated anddescribed in detail.

I preferably mount the bleed valve 6 of my invention on the auxiliaryreservoir l but I may otherwise connect this valve with the apparatus ifdesired. handles 7 and 8 extend from the valve to opposite sidesof thecar (not shown) so that the valve may be operated from either side ofthe car.

The valve of my invention preferably-comprises a casing 9 having one endopen and externally screw threaded as at 10 and its other end closed asat 11, the open threaded end being turned in ascrew threaded opening 12in the auxiliary reservoir 4:. A bleed port 13 is formed in the side ofthe casing and communicates with the atmosphere and the interiorof saidcasing. A valve seat 14: is secured inthe casing over the. port and hasan opening 15 therein registering with said port. A valvelG is slidablymounted on the valve seat and operates to open and close the bleed port.A plunger or stem 17 is mounted to reciprocate through a stufii ing box18 in the closed end of the casing and the 'valve' is connected with andoperated by the plunger. The packing in the stuffing box not onlyprevents leakage between the valve and piston chambers, but also triotionally retains the stem in the upper position when the valve is closedby the rising piston, thus helping to avoid the undesired opening of thevalve and the premature bleeding of the brakes when the train line falls-to that of the atmosphere. The casing 9 is provided wi'thanintermediate lateral enlargement 19 having angularly disposed, flat,wrench-engaging faces 20. The closed endot' the casing is externallyscrew threaded and isturned into the open threaded end 21 or a cylinder'22. This end of'sa'id cylinder rests upon the enlargement 19. Theplunger or stem 17 extends into this'cylinder and has a piston 23thereon mounted intermediate of its ends, said piston having a workingfit in said cylinder. The plunger extends through the closed end 24: ofsaid cylinder and terminates between spaced ears 25 on said end. Pivotedto the ears 25-are bell cranks 26 and 27. The short 'arm 28 of the bellcrank 26 rests upon the wardly onthe lower end of either bell crank, theplunger is depressed and moves toopen the valve 16. The handles 7 and 8areconneotedwiththe lower ends of the bell cranks and provide foroperation of the valveffrorn either side of a car.

The valve 16 1s preferably mountedupon the plunger 17 by being supportedupon a bolt30 which is turned in a threaded open- Val've operating andsupports a bowed leaf spring 36 which latter slidably engages upon'thewall of the valve casing so as to yieldingly force the valve 16 towardsits seat to provide a tight working engagement between the parts. Thisvalve is of course also held to its seat by the pressure of theairthereona By thus mounting the valve,I may easily disassemble thevalve without disassembling the entire device. 7

A by-pass pipe 37 is connected with the train line 1 and with a port 38in the cylinder 22 so as to supply air tov the cylinder-to operate thepiston and closethe valve 16.

To operate my valve,:one of'the handles.

7 and 29 is pulled outwardlyand the plunger 17, assuming that the valveis closed,

will be depressed by one of the bell cranks closed position as shown inFigure 2, to the V i open position shown in Figure 3 and the air intheauxiliary reservoir twill escape through the casing 9 and bleed port13 and release the brakes (not shown). The valve will remain open whenonce opened and all that is needed .to'bleed. the reservoir is to give.a pull upon one otthe operatinghandles 7 and 8., g r

WVhenever air is admitted to the train line, air will pass into the:pipe 37 and enter the cylinder 22 behind the piston 23, causing thepiston-to move outwardly and likewise move the plunger 17 so that thevalve will be closed. Thus the valve will automatically close when thetrain line is'coupled with the train line of a train or engine. WViththe valve closedthe apparatus is restored to operative condition by thefilling of the auxiliary reservoir through the triple valve. V i

In the weighing of ,freightcars it is required that all of the airbeexhau'sted from the braking apparatus of each car prior to theweighing thereof. This requires with the apparatus now in use, that thebleed valves :be held open,.until the air is exhausted. --With my valvewherein it is only necessary to open'the valve and not toholdthesameop'en, I secure a great saving int me and lfibQT'flIl thewelghing ofcars. Railway carswhich have completeda run andhavebeenuneoupled from the locomo tive must be inspected before beingagain put into use. Inthe inspection of these cars, it isnecessary'after inspection to bleed the air apparatus and where atrainfof cars must be thus bled, much time and labor is required to holdthe bleedvalves'open in the several cars. In myi.-valve, since it isonly necemary to move the valve open in order-to bleed the cars, muchtime .and labor will be saved in the inspection of the cars asaforementioned.

I claim 1. A bleed valve for air brake apparatus comprising a. housingformed with a piston chamber in communication with the train line andwith a passage for connecting the auxiliary reservoir with the open air,a valve for controlling the flow of air through said passage, a pistonslidably arranged in said chamber, a stem connecting said piston andsaid valve, and manually operated means for moving said valve.

2. A bleed valve for air brake apparatus comprising a housing formedwith a piston chamber in communication with the train line and with avalve chamber opening into the auxiliary reservoir and a passage fromthe valve chamber to the open air, a valve for controlling the flow ofair through said passage, a piston slidably arranged in the pistonchamber, a stem connecting said piston and said valve, and manuallyoperated means for moving said valve.

3. A bleed valve for air brake apparatus comprising a housing formedwith a passage for connecting the auxiliary reservoir with the open air,a valve for controlling the flow of air through said passage and pressedupon it seat by air from the auxiliary reservoir, and means operated byair from the train line for closing said valve.

4. A bleed valve for air brake apparatus comprising a housing formedwith a passage for connecting the auxiliary reservoir with the open air,a valve for controlling the flow of air through said passage and pressedupon its seat by air from the auxiliary reservoir, an operating stem forsaid Valve slidably arranged in said housing, means for packing saidstem in said housing, manually operated means for moving said stem inone direction to open said valve, and means operated by air from thetrain line for closing said valve.

5. A bleed valve for air brake apparatus comprising a housing formedwith a passage for connecting the auxiliary reservoir with the open air,a valve for controlling the flow of air through said passage and pressedupon its seat by air from the auxiliary reservoir, an operating stem forsaid valve slidably arranged in said housing, means for packing saidstem in said housing, manually operated means for moving said stem inone direction to open said valve, a piston on said stem, and means forpermitting air from the train line to actuate said piston to close saidvalve.

6. A bleed valve for air brake apparatus comprising a housing formedwith a piston chamber in communication with the train line and with apassage for connecting the auxiliary reservoir with the open air, avalve for controlling the flow of air through said passage and pressedupon its seat by air from the auxiliary reservoir,'a piston slidablyarranged in said piston chamber, and means for connecting said valve tosaid piston.

7 A bleed valve for air brake apparatus comprising a housing formed witha piston chamber in communication with the train line and with a passagefor connecting the auxiliary reservoir with the open air, a valve forcontrolling the flow of air through said passage and pressed upon itsseat by air from the auxiliary reservoir, a piston slidably arranged insaid piston chamber, means for connecting said piston to said valve, andmanually operated means for moving said valve in one direction.

8. A bleed valve for air brake apparatus comprising a housing formedwith a piston chamber in communication with the train line and with apassage for connecting the auxiliary reservoir with the open air, avalve for controlling the flow of air through said passage and pressedupon its seat by air from the auxiliary reservoir, a piston slidablyarranged in said piston chamber, a stem connecting said piston to saidvalve and extending exteriorly of said housing, and manually operatedmeans for moving said stem to open said valve.

9. A bleed valve for air brake apparatus comprising a housing formedwith a piston chamber in communication with the train line and with apassage for connecting the auxiliary reservoir with the open air, avalve for controlling the flow of air through said passage and pressedupon its seat by air from the auxiliary reservoir, a piston slidablyarranged in said piston chamber, a stem connecting said piston to saidvalve and extend ing exteriorly of said housing, a lever engaging theend of said stem, and means for moving said lever to effect the openingof said valve.

10. A bleed valve for air brake apparatus comprising a housing formedwith a piston chamber in communication with the train line and a passagefor connecting the auxiliary reservoir with the open air, a stemslidably mounted in said housing, a piston ins-aid piston chamber fixedon said stem for co-extensive axial movement therewith, a valve forcontrolling the flow of air through said passage connected to said stem,and means for moving said stem to open said valve.

11. A bleed valve for air brake apparatus comprising a housing formedwith a piston chamber in communication with the train line and a passagefor connecting the auxiliary reservoir with the open air, a stemslidably mounted in said housing, a piston with, said housingbeing'fonmed with a passage for connectingsaid chamber with the openairand xvithapistonchamber in communication Withihfi train line, a stemdisposed in said chambers, means for packing the stem between thechambers, a valve in said valvechamber and a piston in said pistonchamber connectedto .saidstem and manually operated means for moving thestem in One direction. V V

THOMAS J .STEINKELLER.

